“To date, we have 17 Fair Trade-certified farms in Uraba, including two that belong to farm worker co-ops, and one co-op of 57 small growers in Santa Marta, Colombia,” said Marion Tabard, director of marketing.

Most major banana suppliers offer Fair Trade fruit to customers or provide their own version of Fair Trade produce with a corporate social responsibility program option, which Brock said can be a part of the solution when companies are working toward a common goal.

“The more people who are innovating and trying new approaches within Fair Trade and sustainability as a whole, the higher the likelihood for success,” she said.

Banacol Marketing Corp. has one such program, said Bill Sheridan, executive vice president of sales.

The Coral Gables-based company contributes 36 cents per pallet to Corbanacol, the company’s social foundation, for use in its social investment programs without considering it as a tax deduction, according to a company e-mail.

That policy has resulted in $46 million in donations in the past 14 years.